MILWAUKIE – There are plenty of reasons for La Salle Prep to believe it has a good crack at its fourth 5A girls basketball title in six seasons next March.
The first two weeks of the season have revealed, however, that the Falcons – ranked No. 1 in the OSAAtoday 5A coaches poll – have plenty of fine-tuning to do.
La Salle Prep rebounded from its first loss with a 60-38 home win over No. 6 Crescent Valley on Thursday night. It might seem impressive, but considering the Raiders were severely shorthanded, and La Salle Prep committed 21 turnovers, the win left lots to be desired.
It wasn't the kind of performance the Falcons (4-1) were looking for coming off a 43-31 loss to St. Patrick (Calif.), their lowest point total in eight seasons under coach Kelli Wedin.
“Honestly, it was pretty rough,” said junior point guard Addi Wedin, who scored a game-high 19 points. “It was a messy game for us.”
Kelli Wedin, Addi's mother, offered her own adjective.
“It was completely sloppy,” she said. “I told the girls, 'It's not about the win, it's about what we're capable of doing.'”
Crescent Valley (2-2), a state quarterfinalist the last two seasons, was without two starters and a rotation player. Junior guard Ana McClave, the team's best player, missed her third game in a row with bronchitis. Junior Emma Vawter, a starting guard, was attending a wedding. And junior reserve post Hau Wa'a was in Hawaii.
The Falcons forced 10 turnovers in the first quarter to take a 17-8 lead, but the Raiders wouldn't back down. They stayed within 33-23 at half behind freshman wing Gabby Bland, who scored nine of her team-high 12 points before intermission.
After hearing it from their coach at halftime, the Falcons turned up their intensity in the third quarter. Addi Wedin made two three-pointers and scored eight points during a 15-2 run as the lead grew to 48-25.
“I feel like the first half, we didn't have the energy,” said Addi Wedin, who had four points before the break. “I feel like we just came into it not ready. The second half, we definitely picked it up. Our transition was better, but we just had way too many turnovers.”
The careless passes rankled Kelli Wedin.
“We're really good in transition, but the last two games, I don't know, there's something amiss,” she said. “It's just learning to value the possession. It's going to be a process. … It's just that smartness piece that we need to dial into.”
Senior guard Emily Niebergall scored 10 points and freshman Ella Wedin and junior Amanda Sisul added eight points apiece for La Salle Prep. The Falcons shot 42.4 percent (25 for 59), including 9 of 28 from three-point range, a vast improvement over shooting 1 for 23 behind the arc against St. Patrick.
With three starters (Addi Wedin, Niebergall and Sisul) and two rotation players (senior forward Lindsay Drango, sophomore guard Mia Skoro) back from last season's title team, La Salle Prep has lots of experience. The Falcons also have some talented youth in freshmen guards Ella Wedin and Rhyan Mogel, the first two players off the bench.
“We're a quicker team,” Addi Wedin said. “Our transition is so good. We can all run the floor, and we can all shoot it, and we can all attack. I feel like we all kind of play everything.
“I think we're going to be really good. We have a lot of potential. I think this year we definitely have a chance of making it again.”
Niebergall said that once the Falcons get rolling, “we aren't going to be able to be stopped by anybody in the entire state. We just need to get better. We don't want to be at our best right now. We want to improve and work. There's no limits for our team, because we're just an overall really good basketball team.”
Crescent Valley also is optimistic about its chances this season. The Raiders are counting on a big year from McClave, who helped lead the school's girls soccer team to a repeat 5A title in the fall. In the first week of the season, she had a game with 16 points, 12 rebounds, nine steals and eight rebounds.
“She's a great player,” Raiders coach Eric Gower said. “When we have her, it takes us to another level. The other girls that are out, too, are really important to our team.
“I think we can play with any team if we play to our potential. I think we're eight deep, and very talented at those eight deep. But we've got to put it together. We have a lot of work still to do.”
Senior post Gwen Gray and senior forward Peyton Dale added seven points apiece for Crescent Valley, which next plays in the Les Schwab Holiday Hoopfest in Bend Dec. 27-29.
La Salle Prep is home to face No. 4 Churchill on Saturday before playing in the power-packed POA Holiday Classic next week at Franklin High School. The Falcons open against 6A No. 8 Sheldon on Dec. 27.
jerryu@osaa.org
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